


Beauty

by CanidSerpent



Series: CanidSerpent's Reader-Inserts [9]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 17:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18392795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanidSerpent/pseuds/CanidSerpent
Summary: He is a monster, and you represent the only beauty given to him by life. He fears that one day you will see him for the horror he is and the only beauty in his life will fade into the wind.





	Beauty

A distant mumbling stirs you from the bed. As you blink away the sleep that has accumulated in your eyes you recognize the mumbling as Waylon's. Ordinarily he lays beside you until you both are awake, relishing in your presence and the pleasant dichotomy of his scales against your skin. But you know he gets frustrated sometimes. Not with you, but with himself.  
  
He lets himself be soft with you. Pressing soft, scaly kisses to your lips as he holds you gently in his arms. He is afraid of breaking you, of crushing you in his arms or beneath his weight. During sex he prods you incessantly, making sure his claws haven't scratched you or his teeth haven't cut too deep into your skin. You appreciate his concern, but you aren't as fragile as he imagines you to be. Naturally there have been accidents; a stray claw sliding across your inner arm, too deep of a bite during lovemaking. But you have always been fine. It hasn't made you love him any less. If anything, the scars left behind serve as a reminder of his love for you.   
  
But he doesn't believe it will last. He believes you'll come to your senses eventually, that you'll see him for the monster that he is.   
  
He believes that the one shred of beauty in his life will disappear one day.  
  
He dreams of that day every night, even as he holds you in his arms. He dreams of the morning he won't wake up to find you in his embrace.  
  
And despite his fearless attitude, that is what truly terrifies him. You have shown him that there is still beauty in this cruel world, that there are people who do not brand him as an animal. That despite the scales and the sharp claws and teeth, there is somebody out there who could find it in themselves to love a monster.  
  
So when you step behind him to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, a small whine escapes him. The sensation of your skin against his scales is pure ecstasy to him, and reminds him that you are still here.  
  
That you haven't run away yet.  
  
He cannot help but lean into your touch as your other hands rises to cup his scaly cheek. Despite how tired you are, despite staying with him in the sewers when he needs to hide, you still manage to smile. And like a yawn, it makes him smile too, pointed teeth and all.  
  
A year ago it would have felt uncomfortable, unnatural. But with you it feels right. You fill his heart with a warmth he hasn't ever felt before. And he would like nothing more than to cherish you like the angel he sees you as. But his monstrous appearance frightens people, he can't take you out without causing a scene. And he has enemies, enemies that would like to skin him and turn his hide into a pair of leather boots. Enemies that would hurt you to get to him if given the chance.  
  
But despite the danger and the isolation, you never falter. You stay strong when he finally breaks down. You help him get back on his feet, never losing faith in him for a second. You trust him more than you have any right to, but you do because you _love_ him.  
  
Because you so fervently believe _everyone_ deserves love. Man or beast, both still have feelings, both are capable of love just as they are for violence.  
  
You are so good to him, so kind, so gentle and understanding. You have your own troubles, bad memories and doubts, but you find the will to shove them aside when he needs you. He wishes he could take your pain away, all the suffering your mind subjects you to. There are days where he has half-a-mind to make the people who did this to you pay, rip out their intestines and choke them with it. But you tell him it won't help, it won't fix you.  
  
You ask him to hold you sometimes, so you rest in his lap with your head tucked underneath his chin. Wordlessly, he obliges, allowing you to cry in silence save for the heaving of your chest and sound of his breathing. He doesn't know the words to make you feel better, to convince you that everything that has happened to you isn't your fault. But he can make demonstrations. He can move his head to press his snout to the back of your neck, leaving soft kisses as he nuzzles the tender skin there. And he can lick away your tears as they slide down your cheeks.  
  
Sometimes you fall asleep, curled in his protective embrace. And once he hears your breathing soften and feels your head fall against his chest, he raises himself from you've been seated. He steps gently across the flooded brick floor, cradling you in his arms as if you were a fine porcelain doll. Softly, he lays you in your shared bed before crawling in beside you. Before taking you in his arms again and pushing your face towards his bare chest.   
  
Quietly, he settles, pulling the marred and torn blankets over the two of you. An appreciative growl rumbling in his throat as you sleepily nuzzle your face into his chest. Only when he feels your body fully relax and your ragged breathing soften does he allow his own body to relax. Only when he is sure that you have fallen asleep does he let it take him too.


End file.
